Easy Cauliflower-Squash Soup

Okay, so it’s not fall and so may not be ‘soup season’ around here, but I recently had some leftover cooked spaghetti squash and figured there must be something funky to do with it. Indeed, I found this recipe on Cooks.com and—modifying to my tastes and what I had on hand—I made and seriously enjoyed…. 

Easy Cauliflower-Squash Soup 

1 full head of cauliflower, cooked and drained

1 C spaghetti squash, cooked and drained

3 C chicken broth

1 tsp. onion flakes

Other seasonings on hand

Mix cooked vegetables in blender with broth for 30-40 seconds. Return to pot and add seasonings. Simmer 10 minutes.

This was so easy and so incredibly tasty, I have made it since in a few versions. Another trick I figured out was to add a cup of regular V8 to the mix and make a rather tasty tomato soup version.

And, regardless of which version I made, there was always a hefty dose of shredded cheese sprinkled on top. Yum.

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Jobs @ Girls Write Now!

There are two wonderful job opportunities open at Girls Write Now, so take a look if you're in the market for a great gig:

Position Opening: Communications Coordinator

Girls Write Now has an active and influential presence online and in print: through an award-winning anthology, the website, social media channels, email marketing, press coverage, and a powerful network of women writers that includes professionals at top media outlets as well as distinguished authors and speakers. Girls Write Now seeks a team player and savvy Communications Coordinator with writing and editing expertise and experience in building campaigns and developing online (social media) audiences. Priority deadline is April 28. Early applications strongly encouraged. See full posting

Position Opening: Senior Grant Writer (Part-Time/Flexible)

As part of the expanding Development team the Senior Grant Writer will work closely with the Director of Development and Executive Director to effectively execute the development and submissions of grant proposals and reports. This position will have a particular focus on proposals and reports for foundations, government, and corporate prospects with an interest in mentorship, girls, and writing programs. The grant writer will also provide valuable writing support in all areas of Development, including case statements and donor presentations, detailed briefings in advance of senior staff meetings with funders, and individual and institutional contribution letters and acknowledgements. Priority deadline is May 12th. Early applications strongly encouraged. See full posting

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goal groups, to-dos, and shaking it out

In a bout of spontaneity at the start of the week, I started a goal group. What is that? Well, it’s a work in progress and I am certain there are folks out there who can better define and organize such a group, but here’s what I did: I asked my ‘friends’ on Facebook who’d like to join in on one week of goal-sharing and goal-cheering.

The plan was to bring together a handful of friendly folks who would express an individual goal for the week, comment on ups and downs throughout the day in a private FB message group, and motivate one another in the process. It may sound silly but it’s been widely expressed that when you say a goal out loud, there’s an accountability factor that kicks in that may prevent you from flopping.

The group that formed this week took on everything from completing taxes to getting up from the desk every few hours for a healthy stretch (my own personal goal) to writing-related goals such as writing daily poems or submitting new work. Anything and everything counted, and our group grew to include six people in total with random messages throughout the day. For my part, it was a lovely thing to wake up to notes from my fellow goal-setters. There was an accountability factor there, as I didn’t want to disappoint and I knew I had an active audience awaiting my results for the day.

For this initial goal group experiment, we set out to share for one week only. But, who knows? Maybe this will spark future groups and ideas for motivating one another in formal and informal ways. I felt the impact of the group and it’s always a good thing when I can say I checked off some to-dos from my list. This was a fun way to do so!

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free ‘Focus’ and 55 happiness tips

I recently came upon Marthe Hagen’s blog post, “55 gentle ways to take care of yourself when you’re busy busy busy,” and simply had to share the link. Oh, sure, we all know we’re supposed to take care of our health and happiness at all times. De-stress. Breathe deep. Eat right. But knowing what’s good for you and actually putting it into practice aren’t always so easy.

I know darn well I would be best served with an extra hour or so of sleep each night. I remind myself this every day, particularly when my mid-morning and mid-afternoon slump smack me in the face and send me to naptime. But do I add more time to my night sleep schedule? No. Why? Oh so many reasons (excuses).  

So when I came upon Marthe’s list of 55 gentle ways to treat myself better, I took that as a sign there are at least one or two very simple, very reasonable things I can do to lighten my load, physically and mentally.

Many of these I’m actually already doing—which gave me permission for a small pat on the back. But there are plenty of things I hadn’t thought of or have yet to incorporate into my life. My ultimate goal? To someday follow the suggestion to take the weekend off. Completely off. From email, phone calls, little to-dos…. I know this would mean rearranging the Mon-Fri task list, but I suspect the benefits would greatly outweigh any short-term adjustments in my work habits. So, someday. Maybe sooner than I think.

 

Have a look at Marthe’s blog post and be sure to take advantage of the free book download of Leo Babauta’s Focus! I did—and have added it to my to-be-read immediately pile. 

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